Controllable upper surface blown nozzle

ABSTRACT

Apparatus and methods provide for a controllable upper surface blown (USB) nozzle aperture. Aspects of the disclosure provide a powered-lift aircraft that utilizes a controllable nozzle aperture to maximize the spreading of the engine exhaust flow over the wing and USB flap surfaces to increase lift when desirable and to minimize exhaust plume contact with the wing and USB flap surfaces when minimizing drag is desirable. The controllable USB nozzle aperture includes movable upper, lower, and side duct surfaces to dynamically vary the geometry of the nozzle exit aperture to minimize the height and maximize the width of the exit aperture for maximum spreading of the exhaust plume or to maximize the height and minimize the width of the exit aperture for minimizing the spreading of the exhaust plume and minimizing the associated drag.

BACKGROUND

Conventional airliner and cargo aircraft are configured as high or lowwing aircraft. The wings are positioned above or below the passenger orcargo compartment within the fuselage. The wings are attached to thefuselage through a wing structural box. The fuselage is attached at thetop or bottom to the wing structural box depending on whether theaircraft is configured as a high-wing or low-wing aircraft. This wingstructural box is typically very heavy since it needs to be substantialenough to bear a large portion of the wing loads and support thefuselage.

Conventional USB flap installation for powered-lift aircraft includesinstalling the engines far forward so that the engine exhaust plumesexit the engine nozzle far forward on the wing close to the leadingedge. In doing so, the exhaust plumes travel a long distance over thetop surface of the wing prior to arriving at the wing flaps, giving roomfor the exhaust plumes to spread out laterally for increased coverageover the flap surfaces. Devices such as turning vanes and fixed geometrysloped nozzle ceilings have been used to promote spreading of theexhaust plumes. However, these devices create undesirable drag thatdecreases flight efficiency.

Specifically, fixed geometry nozzles with downward sloping ceilingsinduce boat-tail drag due to the formation of low-pressure regionsand/or separation of airflow over the top surface of the nozzle exitwhere the nozzle ceiling slopes downward toward the top of the wing.Moreover, spreading the exhaust flow over the top surface of the wingcreates a scrubbing drag from the contact of the high-speed exhaust gasflow with the wing surface. Finally, in addition to the excessive dragissues with conventional USB powered-lift aircraft, the long distancesfrom the nozzle exit to the flap surfaces used to spread the exhaustflow in conventional USB powered-lift aircraft is not available withaircraft that utilize internally mounted engines.

It is with respect to these considerations and others that thedisclosure made herein is presented.

SUMMARY

It should be appreciated that this Summary is provided to introduce aselection of concepts in a simplified form that are further describedbelow in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to beused to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Apparatus and methods described herein provide for a controllable USBnozzle aperture that includes an upper duct surface, a lower ductsurface, and a side duct surface that surround a nozzle exit aperture.The upper duct surface is movable upward and downward to alter theinternal angle of the nozzle exit aperture. The side duct surface ismovable to allow lateral opening of the nozzle exit aperture. The upper,lower, and side duct surfaces can be moved independently during flightto dynamically alter the geometry of the nozzle exit aperture to controlthe flow characteristics of an engine exhaust plume flowing through thenozzle exit aperture.

According to another aspect, a method for controlling lift with anengine exhaust plume includes routing the engine exhaust plume through anozzle exit aperture. The exhaust plume is routed over a top surface ofa wing flap downstream of the nozzle exit aperture. An upper ductsurface of a controllable USB nozzle aperture is deflected to alter thenozzle aperture flowpath. A side duct surface of the controllable USBnozzle aperture is opened to increase the width of the nozzle exitaperture. Deflecting the upper duct surface and opening the side ductsurface alters the internal geometry of the nozzle aperture and causesthe engine exhaust plume to spread and thin, allowing it to move overthe USB flap without separation, increasing lift.

The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed can beachieved independently in various embodiments of the present disclosureor may be combined in yet other embodiments, further details of whichcan be seen with reference to the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of aircraft production and service methodology;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an aircraft according to variousembodiments presented herein;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a cargo aircraft showing a twin-boom empennageaccording to various embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the twin-boom empennage along lineA-A as shown in FIG. 3 according to various embodiments presentedherein;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing a method of providing a twin-boomempennage according to various embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an aircraft fuselage showing anested pressure vessel according to various embodiments presentedherein;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of an aircraft substructuresupporting an outer mold line fairing around a pressure vessel accordingto various embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a blended wing aircraftfuselage and wing according to various embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 9A is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 8 showing a splicinglocation of an upper spar chord into the aircraft fuselage according tovarious embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 9B is a top view of the upper portion of the aircraft fuselage ofFIG. 9A showing a splicing location where the upper spar chord splicesinto the upper aircraft super frame according to various embodimentspresented herein;

FIG. 10A is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 8 showing a splicinglocation of a lower spar chord into the aircraft fuselage according tovarious embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 10B shows a cross-sectional view of the splicing location cut alongline B-B of FIG. 10A according to various embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram showing a method of providing a blended wingaircraft according to various embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 12 shows a convention aircraft wing to illustrate the effects ofupper surface blown flaps on a pitching moment of the aircraft;

FIG. 13 shows a highly swept powered-lift aircraft wing according tovarious embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram showing a method of providing a highlyswept-wing aircraft according to various embodiments presented herein;

FIGS. 15A-15C are perspective views of a conformal upper surface blownflap in various stages of deployment according to various embodimentspresented herein;

FIGS. 16A-18C are perspective and cross-sectional views of acontrollable nozzle aperture in various configurations according tovarious embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 19A is a top view of a cargo aircraft showing thrust vectororientation with respect to flight operations using open configurationsof controllable nozzle apertures according to various embodimentspresented herein;

FIGS. 19B and 19C are graphical depictions of a thrust vector of FIG.19A within an X-Y plane and a Z-X plane, respectively, of athree-dimensional coordinate system shown in FIG. 19A;

FIG. 20A is a top view of a cargo aircraft 32 showing thrust vectororientation with respect to flight operations using closedconfigurations of controllable nozzle apertures according to variousembodiments presented herein;

FIGS. 20B and 20C are graphical depictions of a thrust vector of FIG.20A within an X-Y plane and a Z-X plane, respectively, of athree-dimensional coordinate system shown in FIG. 20A;

FIG. 21 is a flow diagram showing a method of modifying propulsive liftand thrust using a controllable upper surface blown nozzle apertureaccording to various embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of an aircraft engine nozzle systemshowing a universal convergent nozzle connected between an aircraftengine and a distinct nozzle aperture according to various embodimentspresented herein;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a portion of a cargo aircraft with acut-away wing portion showing universal convergent nozzles connecting apair of aircraft engines to controllable upper surface blown nozzleapertures according to various embodiments presented herein; and

FIG. 24 is a flow diagram showing a method of assembling an aircraftengine nozzle system according to various embodiments presented herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is directed to an advanced cargoaircraft that incorporates various features described below to controlthe creation of lift, provide short take-off and landing (STOL)capabilities, decrease aircraft weight, increase aircraft survivability,and to maximize various flight performance factors. As discussed above,conventional powered-lift aircraft utilize forward mounted engines withfixed geometry nozzle ceilings and other exhaust plume spreading devicesthat create undesirable drag during cruise. Utilizing the concepts andtechnologies described herein, a cargo or passenger aircraft utilizesUSB technology with internally installed engines and controllable USBnozzle apertures to control the engine exhaust plumes during variousphases of flight. The variable geometry nozzle apertures describedherein maximize exhaust plume spread when maximum lift is desirable andminimize exhaust plume contact with the wing and flap surfaces whenminimizing drag is desirable.

In the following detailed description, references are made to theaccompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and which are shown byway of illustration, specific embodiments, or examples. Referring now tothe drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements through theseveral figures, a twin-boom empennage according to the variousembodiments will be described. Embodiments of the disclosure may bedescribed in the context of an aircraft manufacturing and serviceroutine 100 as shown in FIG. 1 and an aircraft 202 as shown in FIG. 2.During pre-production, exemplary routine 100 may include specificationand design 102 of the aircraft 202 and material procurement 104. Duringproduction, component and subassembly manufacturing 106 and systemintegration 108 of the aircraft 202 takes place. Thereafter, theaircraft 202 may go through certification and delivery 110 in order tobe placed in service 112. While in service by a customer, the aircraft202 is scheduled for routine maintenance and service 114 (which may alsoinclude modification, reconfiguration, refurbishment, and so on).

Each of the operations of routine 100 may be performed or carried out bya system integrator, a third party, and/or an operator (e.g., acustomer). For the purposes of this description, a system integrator mayinclude without limitation any number of aircraft manufacturers andmajor-system subcontractors; a third party may include withoutlimitation any number of vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers; and anoperator may be an airline, leasing company, military entity, serviceorganization, and others.

FIG. 2 shows a simplified diagram of an aircraft 202 according to theembodiments described herein. The aircraft 202 may include an airframe204, a plurality of systems 206, and an interior space 208. The airframe204 includes aircraft wings 218, a fuselage 220, and an empennage 222.For the purposes of this disclosure, the empennage 222 may include thetail section of the aircraft 202 and any portions of the fuselage 220 towhich it attaches. Examples of high-level systems 206 include, but arenot limited to, a propulsion system 210, an electrical system 212, ahydraulic system 214, and a computing system 216. The computing system216 may be functional to control any of the other aircraft systems 206in the manners described below.

FIG. 3 shows a cargo aircraft 302 according to various embodimentsdescribed herein. It should be appreciated that the cargo aircraft 302shown in FIG. 3 is just one embodiment of an aircraft 202 utilizingaspects of this disclosure. The various concepts described herein arenot limited to the particular design, configuration, components,features, and combination thereof shown in FIG. 3 and described withinthe illustrative examples given below. For example, while the twin-boomempennage 322 feature of the cargo aircraft 302 described below withrespect to FIG. 4 is not limited to the aircraft planform shown in FIG.3 and is not limited to an aircraft 202 configured to transport cargo.Rather, the weight savings and structural rigidity provided by thetwin-boom empennage concept described herein may benefit any aircraft202 of any design and purpose in which access cut-outs within theaircraft empennage 222 are desirable.

Turning now to FIG. 4, a cross-sectional view of the twin-boom empennage322 along line A-A as shown in FIG. 3 will be described. The twin-boomempennage 322 includes two torque tube members 402 and a bridging member404. The torque tube members 402 are positioned on opposite sides of thetwin-boom empennage 322 and independently act as torque boxes to providevery strong lateral supports for the empennage. Connecting the torquetube members 402 with the bridging member 404 creates a rigidity thatallows the twin-boom empennage 322 to satisfy stringent flutter and loadbearing criteria.

According to various embodiments, the bridging member 404 may includeone or more frame members 406 that extend between the torque tubemembers 402. The frame members 406 penetrate and are spliced into thetop portions of each of the torque tube members 402 as shown in FIG. 4.Additionally, the bridging member 404 may additionally include aircraftskin 408 or a combination of frame members 406 and aircraft skin 408.According to one embodiment, the bridging member 404 includes a numberof parallel frame members 406 that are spaced apart along the length ofthe twin-boom empennage 322, spliced into the top portions of the torquetube members 402, and are covered with and attached to the aircraft skin408.

Each torque tube member 402 includes at least one wall 410 that enclosesa space 412 extending the length of the torque tube member 402.According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the cargo aircraft 302utilizes two torque tube members 402, each having four walls, 410A-410Dconfigured into a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. However, it shouldbe appreciated that the torque tube members 402 may include any numberof walls 410 that are configured into any cross-sectional shape. Forexample, an alternative embodiment may include torque tube members 402that have a single wall configured into a circular cross-sectional shapesuch that each torque tube member 402 is a cylindrical tube extendingfrom the fuselage 220 of the aircraft 202. According to yet anotherembodiment, the inner wall 410A is vertical while the outer walls410B-410D form a single semi-circular wall so that the torque tubemembers 402 have a “D” shaped cross-section.

The specific configuration of the torque tube members 402 may depend onthe desired external shape and other features of the twin-boom empennage322. The trapezoidal shape of the torque tube members 402 shown in FIG.4 provides inner walls 410A to act as internal lateral barriers to apayload space 414. The outer walls 410C and 410D act as externalbarriers of the cargo aircraft 302 to which the aircraft skin 408 isattached. Additional structural components (not shown) may be includedto support the aircraft skin 408 in the desired shape. In the embodimentshown, the aircraft skin 408 comes together at points on opposite sidesof the cargo aircraft 302, while outer walls 410B provide verticalsurfaces behind the aircraft skin 408 to which aircraft components maybe mounted.

It should be appreciated that the desired torsional rigidity and bendingrigidity characteristics of the torque tube members 402 may be achievedby modifying the cross-sectional area and shape of the torque tubemembers 402, as well as by utilizing torque tube member materials andaircraft skin materials having desirable characteristics, such asdesirable gage and material modulus characteristics. According to oneembodiment, high modulus fibers are utilized in the aircraft skin 408 ofthe twin-boom empennage 322, which may reduce the weight of the aircraftby as much as 40% as compared to conventional aircraft skin 408materials that do not utilize high modulus fibers, while retaining thedesired torsional stiffness needed to suppress undesirable flutterassociated with the empennage.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, the two torque tube members 402, the bridgingmember 404, and the aircraft floor 420 create lateral, upper, and lowerbarriers, respectively, around the payload space 414 that traverses thecenter of the twin-boom empennage 322. Due to the rigidity provided bythe torque tube members 402 and bridging member 404, an access cut-outcan be made in the aircraft skin 408 for access to the payload space 414without compromising the load bearing capabilities of the twin-boomempennage 322 and without requiring additional structural framework tobe provided around the access cut-out. Rather, the pre-existing torquetube members 402 and bridging member 404 provide the structural supportof the access cut-out that would traditionally have needed to beincorporated around access cut-outs in conventional aircraft designs.

According to one embodiment, the torque tube members 402 may furtherinclude one or more stiffening members 416 intersecting the space 412within the interior of the torque tube members 402 at any number oflocations along their lengths. These stiffening members 416 serve in asimilar manner as ribs within an aircraft wing to further strengthen thetwin-boom empennage 322. To minimize the weight, any number, size, andconfiguration of apertures 418 may be included within the stiffeningmembers 416, or within any of the walls 410 of the torque tube members402.

As discussed above, the twin-boom empennage 322 encompasses a payloadspace 414 that may be used to transport cargo and/or personnel. Variousimplementations of the cargo aircraft 302 provide for the pressurizationof the payload space 414. Consequently, it should be appreciated thatone or more walls 410 of the torque tube members 402, as well as thebridging member 404 and the aircraft floor 420, may provide a pressurebarrier that maintains a desired pressure within the payload space 414.According to one embodiment, the inner walls 410A provide the pressurebarriers such that the payload space 414 may be maintained at onepressure, while the space 412 within the interior of the torque tubemembers 402 may be subjected to ambient air pressure or another desiredair pressure. For the purposes of this disclosure, the aircraft floor420, the walls 410 of the torque tube members 402, and/or the bridgingmember 404 may include a skin or other structure that aids inpressurization of the payload space 414 encompassed by these structures.

Alternatively, the inner walls 410A of the torque tube members 402 mayallow for air to flow between the payload space 414 and the space 412within the interior of the torque tube members 402 while the outer walls410B-410D provide a pressure barrier. In this embodiment, the payloadspace 414 and the space 412 within the interior of the torque tubemembers 402 may be pressurized to the same air pressure.

Turning now to FIG. 5, an illustrative routine 500 for providing anaircraft empennage will now be described in detail. The routine 500outlines a process for manufacturing the twin-boom empennage 322described above. It should be appreciated that more or fewer operationsmay be performed than shown in the figures and described herein. Theseoperations may also be performed in a different order than thosedescribed herein.

The routine 500 begins at operation 502, where two torque tube members402 are created, each having a desired cross-sectional shape. Accordingto one implementation, the cross-sectional shape is trapezoidal with thelongest side of the trapezoidal shape being positioned adjacent to thepayload space 414, such as wall 410A, and the opposing shortest side ofthe trapezoidal shape positioned adjacent to a side of the cargoaircraft 302, such as wall 410B. At operation 504, the torque tubemembers 402 are each attached at opposing sides of a main fuselageportion of the cargo aircraft 302 such that they extend rearward awayfrom the main fuselage portion to create opposing empennage sides.According to one embodiment, the two torque tube members 402 areparallel with one another; however, it is contemplated that the torquetube members 402 may diverge or converge as they extend away from themain fuselage portion such that the twin-boom empennage 322 widens ornarrows from the fuselage to the tail of the cargo aircraft 302.

From operation 504, the routine 500 continues to operation 506, where abridging member 404 is attached to top portions of each of the twotorque tube members 402. According to one implementation describedabove, attaching the bridging member 404 to the torque tube members 402includes splicing opposing ends of frame members 406 into the topportions of the two torque tube members 402. The routine 500 continuesfrom operation 506 to operation 508, where the bottom portions of thetorque tube members 402 are attached to the aircraft floor 420 so thatthe inner walls 410A of the torque tube members 402, the bridging member404, and the aircraft floor 420 define a perimeter of the payload space414.

At operation 510, the outer surface of the twin-boom empennage 322created from the torque tube members 402, the bridging member 404, andthe aircraft floor 420 is covered with an aircraft skin 408. Fromoperation 510, the routine 500 continues to operation 512, where anaccess cut-out is provided in the aircraft skin 408 between the twotorque tube members 402 to provide access to the payload space 414 andthe routine 500 ends.

As described above, various implementations of the twin-boom empennage322 provide for different walls 410 of the torque tube members 402 toact as pressure barriers for pressurizing the payload space 414.Additionally or alternatively, the cargo aircraft 302 may utilize a moreconventional pressure vessel nested within, or partially within an outermold line fairing. Conventionally, an aircraft's payload space 414 is apressure vessel that allows the air pressure within the payload space414 to be pressurized in order to protect the cargo and/or personnelbeing transported within from the lower ambient air pressure surroundingthe aircraft 202 at higher altitudes during flight. These pressurevessels are traditionally substantially cylindrical in shape so thatthey have a substantially circular cross-section. A reason for shaping apressure vessel as a cylinder is to minimize the required thickness ofthe pressure vessel, and therefore the weight of the pressure vessel.

The pressure vessel bears an internal stress, or hoop stress, from theinternal pressure of the air within. The hoop stress associated with acylinder can be calculated as s=(p*r)/t, where s is the hoop stress, prepresents the internal pressure, r represents the radius of thepressure vessel, and t represents the pressure vessel skin thickness. Itcan be seen from this equation that the hoop stress increases linearlywith the radius of the pressure vessel. While this equation is notapplicable to a flat panel, it can be seen that to keep the stress at orbelow a given value, the thickness of the pressure vessel, andconsequently the weight of the pressure vessel, increases with theradius. Consequently, it may be beneficial to configure the pressurizedportion of an aircraft 202 as a cylindrical pressure vessel to minimizethe weight required to sustain the pressures within the aircraft 202.

For these reasons, traditional aircraft employ substantially cylindricalfuselages to take advantage of the weight savings when compared topressurizing a vessel having a non-circular cross-section. An aircraft'souter mold line (OML) is the part of the aircraft 202 in contact withthe gaseous atmosphere of the surrounding environment. Typically, theaircraft skin 408 is applied to the exterior of the pressure vessel,leading to an aircraft 202 having a fuselage 220 with a substantiallycylindrical appearance when viewed from the exterior. However,aerodynamic or radar cross-section requirements may lead to anon-circular fuselage OML on a pressurized portion of an aircraft 202.These aircraft 202 having a non-circular fuselage OML have traditionallybeen subjected to weight penalties in pressurizing portions of thefuselage 220 that have the non-circular cross-section.

Utilizing the concepts described herein, various embodiments provide anaircraft 202 having a substantially cylindrical pressure vessel nestedwithin an arbitrarily shaped OML fairing. Looking at FIG. 6, across-sectional view of a fuselage 220 of an aircraft 202 according toone embodiment is shown. The fuselage 220 includes a pressure vessel 602nested within an OML fairing 604. As seen, the pressure vessel 602 has asubstantially circular cross-section, allowing the thickness of thewalls of the pressure vessel 602 to be minimized in order to minimizeoverall aircraft weight. The OML fairing 604 is shaped according to adesired exterior aircraft shape and is not limited to that shown in FIG.6. Because the OML fairing 604 is not a pressure vessel and does notbear any of the hoop stresses associated with the pressurized payloadspace 414, the thickness of the OML fairing material may be minimized.It should be appreciated that the OML fairing 604 may be vented orpressure fused to preclude failure in the event of a pressure leakwithin the pressure vessel 602.

Turning to FIG. 7, the substructure 702 used to support the OML fairing604 and to transfer various loads to the pressure vessel 602 will bedescribed. The substructure 702 is shown to be a truss system thatincludes a number of cross members 704 and drag links 706. Nested bodyframes (not shown) are used to connect the cross members 704 and draglinks 706 to the pressure vessel 602. The cross members 704 transmitradial and tangential air loads to the nested pressure vessel 602 viathe nested body frames. The drag links 706 transmit fore and aft loadsto the nested body frames. Joints between the substructure 702 and thenested body frames allow for a predetermined amount of fore and aftmotion between the pressure vessel 602 and the OML fairing 604 topreclude having the OML panel sizing determined by the buckling loadsinduced by the deflections of the nested pressure vessel 602 duringflight.

As discussed above, nesting a substantially cylindrical pressure vessel602 within an OML fairing 604 of any shape rather than creating apressure vessel that is shaped according to the desired externalfuselage shape allows for thinner walls to the pressure vessel 602 andreduces weight. Additionally, doing so decreases the amount of internalwetted space, or pressurized space, as compared to the wetted spaceshould the entire fuselage cross-section be pressurized. The reducedquantity of wetted space has additional benefits. First, because theexternal surface of the nested pressure vessel 602, the substructure 702and the internal surface of the OML fairing 604, is not wetted, flushrivets are not necessary within this area. Because the thickness ofvarious aircraft panels are often set according to fastener hole knifeedge conditions that are not present with rivets that are not flush,weight can be saved with thinner panels and cost minimized due to theless expensive materials and simplified installation and maintenancecosts.

The substructure 702 and other framework that may be attached to theexternal surface of the nested pressure vessel 602 allows for easyattachment of other aircraft components and facilitates modularconstruction. Moreover, because the wetted space within the nestedpressure vessel 602 is smaller than the wetted space within the entirefuselage cross-section should the entire fuselage 220 be pressurized,the vehicle subsystems that act upon the wetted space, such as airconditioning/pressurization systems and interior lighting systems, haveless wetted space to act upon. This smaller volume of space results insmaller subsystems and power requirements for those subsystems,resulting in further weight and cost savings.

Turning now to FIG. 8, a blended wing aircraft configuration 800 for thecargo aircraft 302 will be described in detail. Most conventionalairliners and airlifters are configured as low-wing or high-wingaircraft, while mid-wing aircraft are traditionally fighter aircraft andhigh speed/performance type of aircraft. For heavy lifting aircraft suchas airliners and cargo aircraft, the structural wing box that supportsthe wing and the entire weight of the aircraft and corresponding payloadis an important component that traditionally traverses above or belowthe payload space 414. A structural wing box for creating a mid-wingcargo aircraft would typically necessitate a very heavy structure thatwraps around the payload space to support the wings at a mid-point ofthe fuselage. Due to this inefficiency, heavy aircraft commonly utilizelow-wing or high-wing configurations.

However, utilizing the concepts described herein, performance andsurvivability advantages to using a mid-wing, or blended wing,configuration may be realized with a heavy lifting aircraft, such as thecargo aircraft 302. Looking at FIG. 8, a cross-sectional view of a wingand fuselage portion of the cargo aircraft 302 is shown. According tothis embodiment, a wing 218 is shown to be connected to a fuselage 220of a cargo aircraft 302 in a blended wing configuration in which thewing 218 is blended or spliced into an aircraft super frame. It shouldbe appreciated that the opposite side of the cargo aircraft 302 is amirror image of the blended wing aircraft configuration 800 shown inFIG. 8.

Rather than use a heavy structural wing box to connect the aircraftwings 218 to the fuselage 220, the blended wing aircraft configuration800 includes splicing a wing spar 804 of each independent half of thewing 218 directly into an aircraft super frame of the fuselage 220 sothat the fuselage 220 acts as a traditional structural wing box. Itshould be appreciated that with this blended wing aircraft configuration800, the two wing halves may not be directly connected to one another,but are each connected to the fuselage 220 in a manner that allowsflight loads to be transferred in part through the aircraft super frame828 of the fuselage 220. The wing 218 includes a wing spar 804 thattraverses substantially from the fuselage 220 to the wing tip. Althoughonly a single wing spar 804 is shown, it should be understood that anynumber of wing spars 804 may be utilized within the aircraft wing 218.The wing spar 804 includes an upper spar chord 806, a lower spar chord808, and a wing spar web 810 that connects the upper spar chord 806 andlower spar chord 808. For the purposes of this disclosure, the terms“spar chord” and “spar cap” are used interchangeably.

Traditionally, an aircraft wing includes multiple spars. The spars carrya large portion of the shear loads while the aircraft skin 408 thatcovers the wing carries a majority of the bending moment of the wing.Traditional aircraft wings are relatively thin as compared to the heightof the corresponding fuselage 220 and uniformly taper from the wing rootto the wing tip. However, as seen in FIG. 8, the blended wing aircraftconfiguration 800 includes a wing 218 that has a wing root thicknessthat is substantially similar to the payload space height 814.Consequently, the wing spar thickness 812 at the wing root issubstantially equivalent to the payload space height 814. The wing spar804 then tapers non-uniformly from the wing root to the wing tip.

Additionally, the wing 218 includes many cut-outs in the aircraft skin408 to accommodate various aircraft features. Due to these cut-outs, theaircraft skin 408 may not be able to support the bending moment loadstraditionally carried by the skin. An example of a wing cut-outincludes, but is not limited to, aircraft component apertures 816, whichextend through the wing spar web 810. In this embodiment, there are twoaircraft component apertures 816 corresponding to engine mountingapertures 818A and 818B that accommodate two aircraft engines mountedwithin each wing 218. It should be appreciated that the blended wingaircraft configuration 800 is not limited to internally mounted enginesor to any specific number of aircraft engines. Access to the aircraftengines that are mounted within the aircraft component apertures 816 isprovided via cut-outs on the bottom or top of the wing 218. Furtherexamples of wing cut-outs include engine inlets and engine nozzleapertures, as well as landing gear cut-outs.

By having a blended wing aircraft configuration 800 that includes a wingspar thickness 812 (corresponding to the height of the wing spar 804with respect to the fuselage 220 at the wing root) that is substantiallythicker than a typical aircraft wing, the actual loads on the wing spar804 are much lower than they would be with a typical aircraft wing thatwas not as thick. For this reason, the wing spar 804 and correspondingaircraft super frame components can be relatively thin (i.e., thethickness of the wing spar web 810 as measured in FIG. 8 through thepage) as compared to a conventional aircraft, which translates into aweight savings. Moreover, due to the thickness of the aircraft wing 218,which may be enabled by a wing 218 having a long root chord length, andthe resulting smaller loads experienced by the wing structure, shearstresses can be carried by the wing spar web 810 and transferred intothe fuselage 220 while the bending moment loads may be carried by theupper spar chord 806 and the lower spar chord 808, allowing for a numberof wing cut-outs as described above without reliance on the aircraftskin 408 for bearing loads.

As seen in FIG. 8, an inboard end 820 of the upper spar chord 806penetrates an upper portion of the fuselage 220 and is spliced to theaircraft super frame 828. Similarly, an inboard end 822 of the lowerspar chord 808 penetrates a lower portion of the fuselage 220 and isspliced to the aircraft super frame 828. Details of the locations ofattachment of the upper spar chord 806 and lower spar chord 808 to theaircraft super frame 828 will be shown in enlarged views of the areasindicated by dotted lines in FIGS. 9A and 10A, respectively, anddescribed below. The wing spar web 810 is attached to the aircraft skin408 around a portion of the fuselage 220 to which the wing spar web 810abuts. Alternatively, the wing spar web 810 may attach to a nestedpressure vessel 602 as described above, or to the correspondingsubstructure 702 or OML fairing 604.

According to one embodiment, the wing spar web 810 is connected to thefuselage 220 using fasteners and a circumferential clip 824. Thecircumferential clip 824 includes a contact surface shaped for intimatecontact with an outside surface of the fuselage 220 and a flangeprojecting outward approximately 90 degrees from the contact surface.Fasteners 826 are used to secure the contact surface of thecircumferential clip 824 to the fuselage 220 and to secure the wing sparweb 810 to the flange of the circumferential clip 824. Alternatively,embodiments in which the fuselage 220 is manufactured from compositematerials, the wing spar web 810 may be bonded to the fuselage 220 usingsuitable adhesives. It should be understood that any mechanism forsecuring the wing spar web 810 to the fuselage 220 in a manner thatallows shear stresses to be transferred from the wing spar web 810 tothe fuselage 220 may be used without departing from the scope of thisdisclosure.

FIG. 9A shows an enlarged view of the upper portion of the fuselage 220where the upper spar chord 806 penetrates the fuselage 220 and splicesinto an upper aircraft super frame 904. FIG. 9B shows a top view of theupper portion of the fuselage 220 where the upper spar chord 806 splicesinto the upper aircraft super frame. According to the embodiment shownin FIGS. 9A and 9B, the upper aircraft super frame cap 904 may beconfigured as an I-beam having an upper frame cap 906, a lower frame cap907, and a web 910. The web 910 of the upper aircraft super frame 904bisects the upper spar chord 806 of the wing spar 804 longitudinallysuch that the web 910 is sandwiched between the bisected portions of theupper spar chord 806. Alternatively, the upper spar chord 806 may beattached to a single side of the web 910 of the upper aircraft superframe 904.

Any number of fasteners 826 may be used to penetrate the upper sparchord 806 and web 910 to secure the upper spar chord 806 to the upperaircraft super frame 904. According to one implementation shown in FIG.9B, the upper spar chord 806 tapers inward toward the web 910 of theupper aircraft super frame 904 prior to termination. Similarly, theupper spar cap 906 of the upper aircraft super frame 904 may taperinward to a termination point where the upper spar chord 806 penetratesthe fuselage 220. Tapering these components allows the aircraft superframe 828 to receive the wing loads from the wing spar 804 in a uniform,constant manner and transfer them to the fuselage 220.

The circumferential clip 824 can be seen in FIG. 9A. As discussed above,the circumferential clip 824 may be secured to a surface of the fuselage220 using fasteners 826. The flange 920 protrudes outwards from thecontact surface of the clip for attachment to the wing spar web 810using fasteners 826. The circumferential clip 824 contacts and isattached to the fuselage 220 from a position proximate to where theupper spar chord 806 penetrates the fuselage 220 to a position proximateto where the lower spar chord 808 penetrates the fuselage 220 in orderto secure the wing spar web 810 and allow for loads to be transferredfrom the wing spar web 810 to the aircraft super frame 904.

FIG. 10A shows an enlarged view of the lower portion of the fuselage 220where the lower spar chord 808 penetrates the fuselage 220 and splicesinto a lower aircraft super frame 1004. The lower spar chord 808 maysplice into the lower aircraft super frame 1004 in a similar manner asthat described above with respect to the upper spar chord 806 splicinginto the upper aircraft super frame 904. FIG. 10B shows across-sectional view of the splicing location cut along line B-B of FIG.10A. It can be seen that the upper spar cap 1006 of the lower aircraftsuper frame 1004 supports the aircraft floor 420. The lower aircraftsuper frame 1004 additionally includes a lower frame cap 1008 and a web1010 spanning between the upper frame cap 1006 and the lower frame cap1008. The lower spar chord 808 sandwiches the web 1010 of the loweraircraft super frame 1004 and is secured to the frame using any numberof fasteners 826. It should be understood that the upper spar chord 806and the lower spar chord 808 may be connected to the aircraft superframe in the fuselage 220 using any technique suitable to secure thewing spar 804 to the fuselage 220 in a manner that will support theaircraft wings 218 and the corresponding loads experienced by theaircraft wings 218 during flight and ground operations.

Turning now to FIG. 11, an illustrative routine 1100 for providing ablended wing aircraft will now be described in detail. The routine 1100begins at operation 1102, where an aircraft super frame is provided,which encompasses the payload space 414. At operation 1104, a wing spar804 is provided. The wing spar 804 has a thickness 812 at the wing rootthat is substantially equivalent to the payload space height 814. Theupper spar chord 806 is spliced into the upper aircraft super frame 904at the upper section of the fuselage 220 at operation 1106, and thelower spar chord 808 is spliced into the lower aircraft super frame 1004at the lower section of the fuselage 220 at operation 1108. At operation1110, the wing spar web 810 is secured to the aircraft skin 408 or otherfuselage 220 surface. As described above, this attachment may be madeusing a circumferential clip 824, bonding, or any other suitablemechanism. This process is repeated for the opposite wing 218 atoperation 1112, and the routine 1100 ends.

FIG. 12 shows a conventional aircraft wing 218 to illustrate the effectsof upper surface blown (USB) flaps 1206 on the pitching moment of aconventional aircraft 202. Aircraft that utilize USB technology will bereferred to herein as powered-lift aircraft since USB technology createsadditional lift using the exhaust flow from aircraft engines. It shouldbe appreciated that there are additional types of powered-lifttechnology. Powered-lift aircraft in this context traditionally have theaircraft engines mounted forward on the wings such that the engineexhaust plume exits the engines and flows over a large portion of theupper surface of the wings and the flaps. The increased velocity of thegases within the exhaust plume as compared to the ambient air flowingover the outboard sections of the wings creates additional lift whenrouted over the wings and flaps behind the engines. By deploying theflaps within the engine exhaust plume, additional lift can be createdfrom the increased air velocity and corresponding decreased air pressureon the top surface of the flaps. Additionally, as will be described ingreater detail below, deploying the flaps may have the additional effectof turning the thrust vector upwards to assist in the creation of lift.

When aircraft 202 are designed, they are typically designed to meetspecific performance criteria corresponding to a particular type ofmission for which the aircraft 202 will be utilized. Aircraftcharacteristics often coincide with the performance criteria for whichthe aircraft 202 is designed. For example, as a general rule for aconstant thickness to chord ratio, the slower the aircraft, the lowerthe wing sweep; the faster the aircraft, the higher the sweep.Powered-lift aircraft are conventionally built to maximize lift fortransporting heavy loads and/or for creating short take-off and landing(STOL) capabilities. For this reason, many powered-lift aircraft employminimum wing sweep with a relatively large leading edge radius toincrease lift at the expense of speed.

FIG. 12 shows an example of a conventional powered-lift aircraft wing1200. As discussed above, the conventional powered-lift aircraft wing1200 typically has minimal wing sweep. The aircraft wing 1200 is shownwith a center of lift 1202 at cruise flight conditions. An engine 1210is mounted in a forward position in front of the USB flap 1206 so thatthe engine exhaust plume 1212 is directed over the USB flap 1206. Whenthe USB flap 1206 is deployed, the powered lift is “turned on” andadditional lift is created at the flap center of lift 1208. As will bedescribed below, according to various embodiments of this disclosure,additional lift may also be created by manipulating the exhaust plume1212 using engine nozzle controls with or without flap deployment. Theadditional lift generated by the activation of a powered-lift system hasthe effect of moving the center of lift 1202 rearward in the directionof the USB flap 1206, for example to the position indicated by center oflift 1202′. Moving the center of lift rearward creates a moment arm 1204due to the distance between the original center of lift 1202 and theflap center of lift 1208.

The moment arm 1204 created by deploying the flaps 1206 in the exhaustplume 1212 or by manipulating the exhaust plume 1212 creates a pitchingmoment since the flaps 1206 are generally behind the aircraft center ofgravity. Because of the additional lift that is generated a distanceequivalent to the moment arm 1204 behind the original center of lift1202, the center of lift 1202 is moved rearward, increasing the momentarm 1204 between the center of lift 1202 and the center of gravity. As aresult of the increased moment arm 1204, aircraft stability and pitch isaffected. This phenomenon that exists with conventional stable USBpowered-lift aircraft is commonly controlled using a large horizontalstabilizer to provide a trim moment that counteracts the pitching momentinduced by the activation of a powered-lift system.

However, embodiments presented herein utilize wing sweep to bias theaircraft center of lift 1202 in a rearward position to reduce any momentarm 1204 created by the activation of a powered-lift system. FIG. 13shows a highly swept powered-lift aircraft wing 1300 that includes aninboard portion 1302 and an outboard portion 1304. It should beunderstood that while the engine 1210 is shown mounted at leastpartially on the top surface of the inboard portion 1302, as describedabove, various embodiments provide for the mounting of engines 1210internally within the wing with the exhaust plume 1212 routed throughand over the top surface of the wing.

The inboard portion 1302 and the outboard portion 1304 share a leadingedge 1306 that is swept rearward to a degree that positions the centerof lift 1202 approximately along a lateral axis that includes the flapcenter of lift 1208 in cruise flight conditions. As seen in FIG. 13, thetrailing edge 1308 of the outboard portion 1304 is swept rearward to agreater degree than the trailing edge 1310 of the USB flap 1206 of theinboard portion 1302. It should be appreciated, as will be describedwith respect to further embodiments below, that the trailing edge 1310of the inboard portion 1302 of the highly swept powered-lift aircraftwing 1300 may be swept forward while the trailing edge 1308 of theoutboard portion 1304 is swept rearward.

The amount of sweep of the leading edge 1306 and of the trailing edges1308 and 1310 depends upon specific performance goals of the aircraft202 and characteristics of the highly swept powered-lift aircraft wing1300, but with other contributing factors fixed, leading edge 1306 andtrailing edges 1308 and 1310 should be swept to a degree that positionsthe center of lift 1202 proximate to the flap center of lift 1208 so asto minimize or eliminate the moment arm 1204 upon the activation of anypowered-lift system. According to various embodiments, the leading edge1306 is swept rearward approximately 10-50 degrees, the trailing edge1310 is swept forward approximately −10-50 degrees, and the trailingedge 1308 is swept rearward approximately 10-50 degrees. According toone specific embodiment, the leading edge 1306 is swept rearwardapproximately 40 degrees, the trailing edge 1310 is swept forwardapproximately 35 degrees, and the trailing edge 1308 is swept rearwardapproximately 35 degrees. It should be understood that other aerodynamicdesign considerations may be utilized to shift the center of lift 1202to a desired position. As an example, geometric and/or aerodynamic twistmay be used in the aircraft wing to affect the position of the center oflift 1202.

When the USB flap 1206 of the highly swept powered aircraft wing 1300 isdeployed or when the exhaust plume is manipulated to activate thepowered-lift capabilities of the aircraft 202 of FIG. 13, the flapcenter of lift 1208 does not create any, or creates a very small, momentarm 1204 since the flap center of lift 1208 and the center of lift 1202are each approximately positioned along the same lateral axis depictedby the horizontal broken line. As a result, the trim moment required bythe tail section of the aircraft 202 to counter the moment arm 1204 isgreatly reduced, allowing the horizontal stabilizer of the aircraft 202,or stabilator or other applicable control surfaces on the tail section,to be reduced in size as compared to conventional USB powered-liftaircraft 1200. By allowing the tail surfaces to be smaller, weight anddrag is reduced, not only during STOL operations, but throughout theaircraft mission.

As discussed above, conventional powered-lift aircraft 1200 aretypically designed with a minimally swept leading edge and a highthickness to chord ratio to create high amounts of lift, or a highcoefficient of lift, during operation at subsonic speeds.Conventionally, as aircraft are designed for cruising speeds in thetransonic and supersonic ranges, wing thickness to chord ratio decreasesand wing sweep increases. However, according to aspects of thedisclosure provided herein, transonic cruise speeds may be obtainedwhile additionally providing the powered-lift cargo aircraft 302 withSTOL capabilities.

As previously described, aspects of the disclosure include a wing rootthickness that is substantially similar to the payload space height 814.This wing thickness results in a leading edge 1306 that has a leadingedge radius that is greater than that of traditional highly swept wings.The larger leading edge radius increases the lift coefficient to adegree that substantially offsets or minimizes any loss of liftcoefficient that would typically result from sweeping the leading edge1306 rearward to a degree represented by the highly swept powered-liftaircraft wing 1300, i.e. 40 degrees. For this reason, the thick leadingedge radius, the powered-lift system that includes deploying the flaps1206 in the exhaust plume 1212 or by manipulating the exhaust plume 1212as described below, and the highly swept leading edge 1306 provides thepowered-lift cargo aircraft 302 with transonic cruise and STOLcapabilities, while minimizing the size of the tail surfaces thatcontrol any pitching moments created by the activation and deactivationof the powered-lift systems.

Turning now to FIG. 14, an illustrative routine 1400 for providing aswept-wing powered-lift aircraft will now be described in detail. Theroutine 1400 illustrates a high level process used to design a cargoaircraft 302 having transonic cruise and STOL capabilities according tothe disclosure presented herein. It should be understood that theroutine 1400 particularly illustrates wing sweep considerations as thesweep angles correspond to the location of the center of lift 1202 ofthe highly swept powered-lift aircraft wing 1300 and does not includethe many other variables that factor into the design of the highly sweptpowered-lift aircraft wing 1300. For example, the exact sweep angles andwing planform configurations will depend on the aircraft size, designedcruise speed, designed lift coefficients, survivability considerations,and aircraft mission, among many other factors.

The routine 1400 begins at operation 1402, where a highly sweptpowered-lift aircraft wing 1300 is provided. The wing has an inboardportion 1302 and an outboard portion 1304. According to variousembodiments, such as the highly swept powered-lift aircraft wing 1300shown in FIG. 13, the inboard portion 1302 and the outboard portion 1304share a straight leading edge 1306 with identical sweep, but have atrailing edge 1308 that changes sweep from the inboard portion 1302 tothe outboard portion 1304. From operation 1402, the routine 1400continues to operation 1404, where an engine mounting location isprovided on or within the inboard portion 1302 of the wing at a positionthat routes the engine exhaust plume 1212 over a top surface of the wingforward of a USB flap 1206. This position allows for the activation of apowered-lift system that utilizes the engine exhaust plume 1212 toincrease the lift created by the wing 1300 and USB flap 1206. Asdescribed herein, activation of the powered-lift system according tovarious embodiments may include deployment of the USB flap 1206 and/orutilizing the engine exhaust nozzle to manipulate the engine exhaustplume 1212 in a manner that stimulates the spreading and attachment ofthe exhaust plume 1212 to the USB flap 1206 to increase lift.

The routine 1400 continues from operation 1404 to operation 1406, wherethe center of lift 1202 of the wing 1300 is determined while thepowered-lift system is deactivated. At operation 1408, the center oflift 1202 is calculated with the powered-lift system activated and thetwo positions are compared at operation 1410 to determine whether thecenter of lift 1202 is substantially at the same position with andwithout the powered-lift system activated. For example, looking at FIG.13, a primary factor in any change in location of the center of lift1202 during flight operations is the increase in lift associated withthe activation of a powered-lift system or the decrease in liftassociated with the deactivation of the powered-lift system. Thelocation where the change in lift is experienced is represented by theflap center of lift 1208. If the center of lift 1202 is substantiallyaligned with the flap center of lift 1208 along the pitch axisrepresented in FIG. 13 by the broken horizontal line, then any momentarm 1204 created from the increase or decrease in lift at the flapcenter of lift 1208 upon activation or deactivation of the powered-liftsystem is minimized or eliminated.

It should be appreciated that the disclosure provided herein is notlimited to a sweep angle of the leading edge 1306 and planform area ofthe outboard portion 1304 that places the center of lift 1202 exactlyaligned with the flap center of lift 1208 in a manner that eliminatesany moment arm 1204. Rather, due to variable flight conditions andvarious operating characteristics of the powered-lift system, the liftcreated and altered by the powered-lift system may dynamically shift thecenter of lift 1202 during flight in a manner that creates a moment arm1204. However, due to the highly-swept leading edge 1306, coupled withthe other characteristics of the outboard portion 1304 that shifts thecenter of lift 1202 aft in comparison with a conventional high-liftaircraft 202, the moment arm 1204 is minimized.

Returning to FIG. 14, if it is determined at operation 1410 that thecenter of lift 1202 is not located in substantially the same positionwith and without the powered-lift system activated, then the routine1400 proceeds to operation 1412, where the sweep angle of the leadingedge 1306 is modified and/or other characteristics such as the planformarea of the outboard portion 1304 is modified to shift the center oflift 1202 without the activation of the powered-lift system in adesirable direction to coincide with the center of lift 1202 with thepowered-lift system activated. As discussed above, any other designvariables may be modified to shift the center of lift 1202. The routine1400 returns to operation 1406 and continues as described above.However, if at operation 1410, it is determined that the center of lift1202 is located in substantially the same position with and without thepowered-lift system activated, then the routine 1400 ends.

Turning now to FIGS. 15A-15C, an embodiment in which the cargo aircraft302 utilizes conformal flaps 1500 will be described. Conventionalpowered-lift aircraft may utilize USB flaps 1206 that include one ormore rigid surfaces, or flap extensions, that deploy aft of a main flapportion to create a downward-curved upper flap surface that turns theengine exhaust plume 1212 downward. This running length of the USB flap1206 provides additional surface area that creates lift and turns thethrust vector upwards, each action enhancing the low speed flightperformance of the aircraft 202, which may provide or enhance STOLperformance capabilities. However, there are limitations to conventionalUSB flap systems.

First, the amount of downward deflection, or the radius of curvature ofthe USB flaps 1206 when extended, is typically limited by the spacewithin the wing for stowing the flap extensions. For example, thethickness of the portion of the wing in which flap extensions are storedmay limit the radius of the curvature of the USB flaps 1206 whenextended. Conventionally, for USB flap systems, a R/h parameter of 2.0or greater may be desired, with R being the radius of curvature of theUSB flap in a deployed configuration and h being the height of theengine exhaust plume 1212. It should be understood that additionalfactors are considered when designing a USB flap system, including butnot limited to the magnitude of engine thrust, the velocity profile ofthe engine exhaust plume 1212, as well as the width and length of theUSB flap 1206 in the deployed configuration.

Testing of conventional USB flap system utilizing a 50-degree deployableUSB flap 1206 with embodiments of the cargo aircraft 302 describedherein resulted in a R/h parameter of approximately 1.85 or less due tolimitations in the allowable radius of curvature, and consequently inthe allowable running length of the curved upper surface, of the USBflap 1206 caused by stowage limitations. Flap extension stowagelimitations may be exacerbated by the structure of the wing. Forexample, structural components within the wing, such as a wing spar, caninterfere with the space needed for stowing the flap extensions.

Another limitation to a conventional USB flap system is that when theflap extensions are deployed, the trailing edge of the wing is movingaft such that the distance from the leading edge to the trailing edge atthe wing root is increasing. Moving the trailing edge rearward canpresent a problem when the aircraft 202 is not a high-wing aircraft. Ina mid-wing or low-wing configuration, deploying traditional USB flapsmay move the trailing edge aft and downward to a position that is closeenough to the ground to present a danger of contact with the groundduring takeoff and landing operations when the aircraft is operating ata high angle of attack. In addition, to deflect traditional hinged USBflaps, large aerodynamic fairings are required. These fairings may causehigh drag, and undesirable increase the radar cross-section of theaircraft.

To address these limitations with conventional USB flap systems, oneembodiment presented herein utilizes the conformal flap system 1500shown in FIGS. 15A-15C. FIGS. 15A-15C illustrate the conformal flapsystem 1500 in the stowed, 20 degree deflection, and 60 degreedeflection positions, respectively. As seen in FIG. 15A, the conformalflap system 1500 provides for a one-piece flap that is substantiallyflat in the stowed configuration. As the flap is deployed, as seen inFIGS. 15B and 15C, a flap leading edge 1502 that is attached to atrailing edge of a highly swept powered-lift aircraft wing 1300 remainsfixed while a flap trailing edge 1504 is rotated downward in a mannerthat provides for the flap surface 1506 to sweep downward in an arc toprovide a smooth, continuous running length for the engine exhaust plume1212.

It should be appreciated that the conformal flap system 1500 shown inFIGS. 15A-15C has been simplified for illustrative purposes and does notinclude any of the actuation mechanisms used to deploy the flap. One ormore actuators may be utilized to rotate or otherwise modify internalstructural components of the conformal flap system 1500 to alter theexternal shape of the flaps during deployment or retractions. It shouldbe understood that any suitable flexible skin material may be utilizedfor the flap surface 1506. As an example, the flap surface 1506 mayinclude a titanium or shaped memory alloy such as NiTinol.

Because the entire flap surface 1506 is exposed to the engine exhaustplume 1212 during flight, with or without deployment of the conformalflap system 1500, space within the wing is not required for stowing anyportion of the flap and the entire running length of the flap surface1506 may be utilized to create lift during all flight phases. For thisreason, and because the conformal flap system 1500 allows for a smoothtransition in the camber of the flaps through any deflection angle, theconformal flap system 1500 may be used to provide optimal aerodynamicperformance during takeoff, landing, and cruise flight operations.

For example, for optimal aerodynamic and propulsion performance in levelflight cruise conditions, the flap surface 1506 may be approximatelyflat and slightly sloping downward 0-5 degrees towards the trailingedge. At takeoff, the flap surface 1506 may be slightly deflected in ashallow arc such that the surface slope is deflected approximately 0-20degrees downward. At landing, the running length of the flap surface1506 may be aggressively deformed in a downward arc approximately 50-75degrees, and even up to 90 degrees. It should be understood that thesedeflection angles are disclosed for illustrative purposes only and arenot to be construed to be limiting.

Additionally, the conformal flap system 1500 provides an advantage overconventional USB flap systems in that the flap trailing edge 1504 maytranslate downward and even forward when deployed as viewed from thetop. This contrasts conventional USB flap systems that extend rearwardas described above. As a result, the conformal flap system 1500 providesgreater ground clearance than conventional USB flap systems,particularly when utilized with a blended wing cargo aircraft 302 inwhich the flaps are positioned closer to the ground than withtraditional high-wing aircraft. Moreover, because the conformal flapsystem 1500 is not hinged, there are no external hinges and associatedhardware that may add drag or increase the radar signature of anaircraft.

Turning now to FIG. 16, a controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600 will bedescribed according to one embodiment of the disclosure provided herein.As discussed briefly above, USB flaps 1206 turn the thrust vectorcreated from the aircraft engines 1210 upward by turning the engineexhaust plume 1212 downward. Conventionally, powered-lift aircraft suchas USB aircraft are designed with engines 1210 mounted on top of thewing and positioned forward on the wing so that the distance between theengine nozzle exit plane and the trailing edge of the wing includes asignificant portion of the wing chord. Doing so allows for the spreadingof the engine exhaust plume 1212 prior to reaching the USB flap 1206 formaximum effect. To facilitate spreading, traditional powered-liftaircraft utilize fixed, downward-sloped duct ceilings at the exit of theengine nozzle. However, this configuration creates significant dragpenalties in terms of boat-tail drag and scrubbing drag during cruise.

For the purposes of this disclosure, boat-tail drag refers to theaerodynamic drag created by the pressure drag and/or separation ofairflow over a surface due to an alignment change of a component withrespect to the local airflow over that component. For example, with aconventional powered-lift aircraft, the external airflow over the fixeddownward-sloped duct ceilings at the exit of the engine nozzle separatesfrom the sloped nozzle exit, creating a turbulence or boat-tail dragduring cruise flight conditions. Scrubbing drag refers to the skinfriction drag caused by the increased velocity of the engine exhaustplume 1212 over the top surface of the aircraft wing and flap ascompared to the ambient airflow over the rest of the aircraft.

Aspects of the disclosure provided herein utilize a controllable USBnozzle aperture 1600 to manipulate the engine exhaust plume 1212 fromone or more engines 1210 in a manner that optimizes the creation of liftduring all phases of flight while minimizing boat-tail and scrubbingdrag. Looking at FIGS. 16A and 16B, the controllable USB nozzle aperture1600 includes an upper duct surface 1602, a side duct surface 1604, anda lower duct surface 1606. FIG. 16B is a cross-sectional view takenalong line A-A of FIG. 16A. As will be described further below withrespect to FIG. 22, the controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600 may beattached to one or more common nozzle portions that are each identicalfor all engines 1210 and that may include the nozzle throat.

It should be appreciated that FIGS. 16A-18B show a controllable USBnozzle aperture 1600 that corresponds to two adjacent engines 1210. Thecontrollable USB nozzle aperture 1600 includes a bifurcating septum vane1612 that separates flows from adjacent engines 1210. The bifurcatingseptum vane 1612 may be controllable to vary the geometry of thebordering exit apertures 1608. The bifurcating septum vane 1612 mayoperate to keep the inboard and outboard exit apertures 1608 of adjacentinboard and outboard controllable USB nozzle apertures 1600 at equalareas during all engine operating conditions. In doing so, thebifurcating septum vane 1612 may be moveable such that an aft end of thebifurcating septum vane 1612 moves inboard and outboard in a mannersimilar to the side duct surface 1604 as described below, and accordingto one embodiment, in coordination with the side duct surface 1604.

It should be understood that although the controllable USB nozzleaperture 1600 is shown to control engine exhaust plumes 1212 from twoadjacent engines 1210, each controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600 mayprovide engine exhaust plume 1212 control for any number of engines 1210without departing from the scope of this disclosure. While the specificgeometry of the controllable USB nozzle apertures 1600 may differ fromthat shown according to the specific implementation, the componentsdescribed with respect to the controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600shown in FIGS. 16A-18B may be applicable for all nozzle apertures.

Looking at FIGS. 16A and 16B, according to various embodiments, theupper duct surface 1602, the side duct surface 1604, and the lower ductsurface 1606 may each be separately moveable during flight operations toalter the geometry of a nozzle exit aperture 1608 through which theengine exhaust plume 1212 (depicted by the large arrows) exits and flowsover the USB flaps 1206. The upper duct surface 1602 is shown as amoveable panel that pivots from an open position down to a closedposition. In the open position shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, the upperduct surface 1602 may be substantially parallel with the externalairflow over the aircraft wing 1300. In this position, the boat-taildrag that is common for a traditional USB nozzle aperture due to thefixed downward slope of the upper surface of the nozzle aperture isminimized or eliminated altogether. Because the upper duct surface 1602is parallel to the ambient airflow over the wing when configured in theopen position, no separation occurs within the airflow over the upperduct surface 1602.

Although not limited to this configuration, FIGS. 16A and 16B illustrateone possible USB flap 1206 and controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600configuration that may be utilized during cruise flight operations. Withthe upper duct surface 1602 in the raised position, the side ductsurface 1604 in the closed position, and the lower duct surface 1606 inthe lowered position, the nozzle throat is positioned just upstream ofthe controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600 and the exit aperture 1608 isconfigured at its maximum height and minimum width. The engine exhaustplume 1212 flows out of the exit aperture 1608 in a directionsubstantially parallel with a fuselage reference plane and ambientairflow. As discussed above, with the upper duct surface 1602 in theraised position, the ambient airflow does not separate from the upperduct surface 1602 and boat-tail drag is eliminated or minimized. Thescrubbing drag that exists along the running length of the upper surfaceof the wing and the USB flap 1206 from contact with the high-velocityflow of the engine exhaust plume 1212 is also reduced when the height ofthe exit aperture 1608 is maximized and the width is minimized.Embodiments described below with respect to FIGS. 18A and 18B utilizethe lower duct surface 1606 to further minimize this scrubbing drag.

Looking now at FIGS. 17A and 17B, a closed configuration according toone embodiment of the controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600 will bedescribed. This embodiment shows a configuration that may be utilized tothin and spread the engine exhaust plume 1212 as it exits the exitaperture 1608 to condition the engine exhaust plume 1212 for high-liftoperations, such as during STOL operations. To create the closedconfiguration, the upper duct surface 1602 is rotated downward to amaximum kick-down angle such that the trailing edge 1610 of the upperduct surface 1602 is proximate to the lower duct surface 1606. In doingso, the height of the nozzle exit aperture 1608 is minimized to “pinch”the engine exhaust plume 1212 and spread it out over a larger surfacearea of the USB flaps 1206.

Simultaneously as the upper duct surface 1602 is lowered, the side ductsurface 1604 may be opened by rotating the panel to the side away fromthe exit aperture 1608. Opening the side duct surface 1604 maximizes thewidth of the exit aperture 1608 to allow the engine exhaust plume 1212to further fan out laterally to ensure full coverage over the USB flaps1206. According to one embodiment, the area of the exit aperture 1608remains substantially constant in both the open and closedconfigurations shown in FIGS. 16A and 17A, respectively; however, thepresent disclosure is not limited to maintaining a fixed exit aperturearea.

Looking at FIG. 17B, when the controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600 isin a closed configuration, the thinning and spreading of the engineexhaust plume 1212 allows the flow to remain attached to the USB flaps1206 through a significantly greater deflection angle than when thecontrollable USB nozzle 1600 is in an open configuration with the upperduct surface 1602 raised and the exit aperture 1608 at its maximumheight. The benefits of delaying separation of the exhaust flow from theUSB flaps 1206 are twofold. First, additional propulsive lift is createddue to decreased pressures on the top surface of the USB flaps 1206resulting from the attachment of the engine exhaust plume 1212. Second,turning the engine exhaust plume 1212 downward to follow the contour ofthe deflected USB flaps 1206 turns the thrust vector upwards, creatingan upward force that further allows the cargo aircraft 302 to operate atslower airspeeds.

According to another embodiment, the trailing edge 1610 of the upperduct surface 1602 is swept forward from an inboard side closest to thefuselage to an outboard side closest to the wing tip. The trailing edge1310 of the flap may be similarly swept such that it is substantiallyparallel with the trailing edge 1610 of the upper duct surface 1602.When the upper duct surface 1602 is configured with a maximum kick-downangle so that the controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600 is in a closedconfiguration, then the internal geometry of the nozzle has beenscheduled such that the throat of the nozzle moves from a positionupstream to the controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600 to the exit planeat the trailing edge 1610 of the upper duct surface 1602. Although thearea of the exit aperture 1608 may not have changed during thetransition from the open configuration to the closed configuration, thearea of the original throat may have increased such that it becomeslarger than that at the exit plane. It should be understood that theposition of the nozzle throat may not with the modification of the exitaperture 1608. Maintaining the throat forward of the controllable USBnozzle aperture 1600 has advantages that will be discussed below withrespect to FIGS. 22 and 23.

As seen in FIG. 17A, by making the forward-swept exit plane the throat,the engine exhaust plume 1212 now flows through the exit aperture 1608substantially normal to the forward-swept exit plane. Consequently, thecorresponding thrust vector is turned inward toward the fuselage. Forexample, if the trailing edge 1610 of the upper duct surface 1602 isswept forward 35 degrees, then the thrust vector is turned inwardapproximately 35 degrees when the controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600is transitioned to the closed configuration. The turning of the thrustvector and the corresponding benefits of doing so will be described infurther detail below with respect to FIGS. 19A-20C.

FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate the operation of the lower duct surface1606 according to various embodiments. The lower duct surface 1606operates similarly to the upper duct surface 1602 in that it may berotated up and down to manipulate the engine exhaust plume 1212. FIGS.18A and 18B show the controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600 in the openconfiguration that may be utilized during cruise flight conditions. Asdiscussed above, this configuration may eliminate boat-tail drag.Scrubbing drag is reduced by maximizing the height and minimizing thewidth of the engine exhaust plume 1212 to reduce the scrubbing areaalong the running length of the wing and USB flaps 1206 that is incontact with the exhaust flow.

However, the scrubbing drag may be further reduced due to thecontrollability of the lower duct surface 1606. According to variousembodiments, the lower duct surface 1606 may be raised to a kick-upangle that separates the engine exhaust plume 1212 from the uppersurface of the wing and the USB flaps 1206 that are in the downstreamflow field of the exhaust plume. FIG. 18B shows the lower duct surface1606 in a raised position, separating the flow of the engine exhaustplume 1212 downstream of the exit aperture 1608. This configuration maybe beneficial during cruise conditions to minimize drag and improveflight efficiencies, or during a landing go-around to quickly reorientthe thrust vector for maximum forward thrust.

This configuration may also be used to balance an engine-out rollingmoment. When an engine 1210 goes out during high-lift operations, theloss of lift on one side of the aircraft can cause a rolling moment thatmust be countered, either through pilot input or computing system 216input. This balance can be accomplished by rotating the lower ductsurface 1606 up under the engine exhaust plume 1212 on the side of theaircraft opposite the side with the engine failure to reduce itsassociated lift, and to consequently balance the rolling moment FIG. 18Cillustrates a configuration in which the lower duct surface 1606 israised during a high-lift operation and the corresponding detachment ofthe engine exhaust plume 1212 from the top surface of the USB flap 1206.

Turning now to FIGS. 19A-19C, characteristics of the engine exhaustplume 1212 flows and corresponding thrust vectors when the controllableUSB nozzle apertures 1600 are configured in the open configuration shownin FIGS. 16A and 16B are illustrated. FIG. 19A shows a plan view of acargo aircraft 302 in cruise flight according to one embodimentdescribed herein. During cruise flight, when the controllable USB nozzleapertures 1600 are configured in an open configuration, the engineexhaust plumes 1212 flow substantially rearward and parallel to theaircraft direction of flight, which is represented by the X-axis of theX-Y-Z coordinate system that has been overlaid on the cargo aircraft302. As seen, the orientation of the engine exhaust plumes 1212 createsopposite thrust vectors 1902 that are aligned with the X-axis. FIGS. 19Band 19C are visual representations of the thrust vectors 1902 depictedin the X-Y and Z-X planes, respectively, of the coordinate system ofFIG. 19A.

FIGS. 20A-20C represent characteristics of the engine exhaust plume 1212flows and corresponding thrust vectors when the controllable USB nozzleapertures 1600 are configured in the closed configuration shown in FIGS.17A and 17B. As discussed above, moving the throat of the nozzles to theexit planes turns the engine exhaust plumes 1212 in a direction normalto the trailing edge 1610 of the upper duct surfaces 1602. The effect ofthis turning, coupled with the subsequent thinning of the exhaust flowsand attachment of the flows to the deployed USB flaps 1206, turns thethrust vectors 1902 upward and inward toward the fuselage.

As seen in FIG. 20B, the thrust vector 1902 is angled inward toward thefuselage, or X-axis, an amount corresponding to the degree of forwardsweep of the trailing edge 1610 of the upper duct surface 1602. Thebenefits of this inward turning of the thrust vector 1902 are twofold.First, the component of the thrust vector 1902 that is in the directionof flight is shortened. This allows a higher engine thrust setting for agiven approach flight path slope, which in turn provides a higher liftcomponent of the thrust vector 1902. The higher thrust setting andcorresponding lift increase reduces the required field landing length.Another benefit of the inward turning of the thrust vector 1902 is thatit reduces the moment arm of the thrust vector 1902 with respect to theaircraft center of mass location. This benefit reduces the implicationsof an engine-out situation of landing approach, as it reduces the yawingmoment of the failed system. So, if an engine 1210 were to fail onlanding approach, the tendency of the cargo aircraft 302 to rotatearound the Z-axis shown in FIG. 20A in the direction of the failedengine 1210 would be less severe.

FIG. 20C shows that the thrust vector 1902, in addition to being angledinward, is also angled upward. The upward turn also shortens thecomponent of the thrust vector 1902 in the direction of flight, whichacts to reduce the required field landing length for the reasonsdescribed above with respect to the inward turning of the thrust vector1902. Moreover, the upward turn of the thrust vector 1902 supplementsthe lift, further aiding STOL and other low-speed operations.

Turning to FIG. 21, a routine 2100 for controlling propulsive lift andthrust with a controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600 will be described indetail. The routine 2100 begins at operation 2102, where a determinationis made as to whether or not propulsive lift is to be increased. Thepropulsive lift is the lift created by the increased velocity of theengine exhaust plume 1212 over the USB flaps 1206 as compared to theambient airflow over the aircraft. It would be desirable to increase thepropulsive lift during takeoff and landing operations and to maintain ordecrease the propulsive lift during cruise operations, for instance.

If it is determined that the propulsive lift is not to be increased,then the routine 2100 proceeds to operation 2114 and continues asdescribed below. However, if a decision is made to increase thepropulsive lift, then the routine 2100 continues from operation 2102 tooperation 2104, where the engine exhaust plume 1212 is routed through anexit aperture 1608 of a controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600 over a USBflap 1206. The nozzle aperture 1600 guides the engine exhaust plume 1212from the engine 1210 to the USB flaps 1206; however, if the lower ductsurface 1606 is in the raised position, then the lower duct surface 1606may be lowered to re-attach the engine exhaust plume 1212 to the uppersurface of the wing and USB flaps 1206 downstream in the flow field.

From operation 2104, the routine 2100 continues to operation 2106, wherethe upper duct surface 1602 is kicked down to reduce the height of theexit aperture 1608 and the engine exhaust plume 1212. The routinecontinues from operation 2106 to operation 2108, where a determinationis made as to whether or not forward thrust is to be decreased. Forexample, during landing operations, it may be desirable to decrease theforward thrust component to slow the aircraft. If forward thrust is tobe decreased, then at operation 2110, the side duct surface 1604 may beopened to increase the width of the exit aperture 1608 and spread theengine exhaust plume 1212, and the routine 2100 ends. However, if atoperation 2108, it is determined that the forward thrust is not to bedecreased, then the routine 2100 proceeds to operation 2112, where theside duct surface 1604 is closed. Doing so while the upper duct surface1602 is kicked down may maximize the thrust and propulsive lift created,which would be desirable during take-off operations. From operation2112, the routine 2100 ends.

Returning to operation 2102, if a determination is made not to increasethe propulsive lift, such as during cruise conditions, then the routine2100 proceeds from operation 2102 to operation 2114, where the upperduct surface 1602 is raised to increase the height of the exit aperture1608 and the corresponding engine exhaust plume 1212. From operation2114, the routine 2100 continues to operation 2116, where the side ductsurface 1604 is closed to decrease the width of the exit aperture 1608and the engine exhaust plume 1212. At operation 2118, the lower ductsurface 1606 may be kicked up to detach the engine exhaust plume 1212from the upper surface of the wing and/or USB flaps 1206 and the routine2100 ends.

It should be clear from the description of the controllable USB nozzleaperture 1600 that when used in conjunction with the USB flaps 1206, apilot is provided with any number of configurations that allow forprecise control over the lift created, and consequently, the aircraftairspeed and throttle settings for any given flight operation. Forexample, during short field takeoff operations, the pilot or computingsystem 216 may choose to deploy the USB flaps 1206, but configure thecontrollable USB nozzle aperture 1600 in an open configuration, with theupper duct surface 1602 raised and the lower duct surface 1606 kicked upto prevent the engine exhaust plume 1212 from attaching to the deployedUSB flaps 1206. In this configuration, the aircraft may acceleratequickly and at a proper takeoff speed, the pilot can drop the lower ductsurface 1606 down, lower the upper duct surface 1602, and lower the sideduct surface 1604 to rapidly spread and attach the engine exhaust plume1212 to the USB flaps 1206 for a rapid increase in lift.

Turning now to FIGS. 22 and 23, an aircraft engine nozzle system 2200according to various embodiments will be described. FIG. 22 shows theaircraft engine nozzle system 2200 that includes a pair of adjacentengines 1210 attached to a pair of universal convergent nozzles 2202,which are attached to distinct nozzle apertures that may be unique tothe specific engine mounting location. According to various embodiments,the distinct nozzle apertures include controllable USB nozzle apertures1600 such as the nozzle apertures described above. Typical aircraft thatlargely utilize integrated engine installations within the body of theaircraft require specific parts that are specifically designed for theparticular engine mounting location. This is due to the unique geometryof the wing or fuselage at each engine mounting location that requires adistinct geometry of the corresponding engine inlet or nozzle. However,swapping engines 1210 between engine mounting locations can beburdensome if different engine components and/or engine operationsoftware must be used for engines at different mounting positions.

Aspects of the disclosure provided herein utilize a universal convergentnozzle 2202 for every engine mounting location on the cargo aircraft302. Each universal convergent nozzle 2202 can be used with any engineand ensures that engine performance is common at each engine mountinglocation, irrespective of the geometry and features of the potentiallydistinct controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600 that is mounted aft ofthe universal convergent nozzle 2202. FIG. 22 shows two universalconvergent nozzles 2202 mounted between two corresponding engines 1210and a controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600.

Each universal convergent nozzle 2202 has a first end 2204 that ismounted to the engine 1210 and a second end 2206 mounted to thecontrollable USB nozzle aperture 1600. Between the two ends, theuniversal convergent nozzle 2202 includes a convergent duct 2208 thatconverges the flow of the engine exhaust down to the throat 2210, whichis located at or proximate to the second end 2206. The convergent duct2208 may include an S-turn that redirects the flow. The universalconvergent nozzle 2202 may include any thrust reversing components orany other components or features that are common for all engines andthat may be included upstream of the throat 2210. The divergent portionof the engine nozzle is included in the controllable USB nozzle aperture1600, which is downstream of the throat 2210 located in the universalconvergent nozzle 2202.

By positioning the throat 2210 within the universal convergent nozzle2202, it can be ensured that the exhaust flow is going in the samedirection for all engine nozzles and that the flow has the samecharacteristics for all engine nozzles. For this reason, whateverhappens to the flow downstream of the throat 2210 will not negativelyaffect the performance of the engine. For example, as seen in FIG. 23,one embodiment of the cargo aircraft 302 includes four engines 1210,mounted in pairs within each wing. Depending on the mounting location,the engine exhaust plume 1212 experiences a controllable USB nozzleaperture 1600 that may include different geometry and aperturetreatments from other controllable USB nozzle apertures 1600 at othermounting locations, such as various configurations of saw teeth andplume control devices. These treatments will not affect the exhaust flowin a manner that creates backpressure that could damage or negativelyaffect the engine 1210 since the treatments are located downstream fromthe throat 2210 in a divergent portion of the nozzle. Each universalconvergent nozzle 2202 ensures that the engine exhaust plume 1212 ofeach engine 1210 exits each universal convergent nozzle 2202 at a flowdirection that is perpendicular to a plane containing the nozzle throat.

FIG. 24 shows an illustrative routine 2400 for assembling an aircraftengine nozzle system. The routine 2400 begins at operation 2402, where afirst engine 1210 is provided at a first mounting location and a secondengine 1210 is provided at a second mounting location. At operation2404, the first end 2204 of a universal convergent nozzle 2202 iscoupled to the first engine 1210. Similarly, at operation 2406, thefirst end 2204 of another universal convergent nozzle 2202 is coupled tothe second engine 1210. Because the universal convergent nozzles 2202are configured to mount to any engine 1210 at any engine mountinglocation, it should be appreciated that coupling a universal convergentnozzle 2202 to an engine 1210 may include first uncoupling the universalconvergent nozzle 2202 from another engine 1210 at another enginelocation, such as from an unserviceable aircraft, to be used at a newengine mounting location.

The routine 2400 continues from operation 2406 to operation 2408, wherea distinct controllable USB nozzle aperture 1600 is coupled to each ofthe second ends 2206 of the universal convergent nozzles 2202 and theroutine 2400 ends. It should be appreciated that the distinctcontrollable USB nozzle aperture 1600 may be a single controllable USBnozzle aperture 1600 having separate exit apertures 1608, or may includeseparate distinct nozzle apertures for each of the engines 1210.

The subject matter described above is provided by way of illustrationonly and should not be construed as limiting. Various modifications andchanges may be made to the subject matter described herein withoutfollowing the example embodiments and applications illustrated anddescribed, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure, which is set forth in the following claims.

1. A controllable upper surface blown (USB) nozzle aperture system,comprising: an upper duct surface configured to raise and lower to altera height of a nozzle exit aperture; a lower duct surface; and at leastone side duct surface configured to alter a width of the nozzle exitaperture, wherein the upper duct surface, the lower duct surface, andthe at least one side duct surface define the nozzle exit aperture andare configured to dynamically control a geometry of the nozzle exitaperture and flow characteristics of an engine exhaust plume exiting thenozzle exit aperture.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the lower ductsurface is configurable to raise to a position that detaches the engineexhaust plume from a wing flap surface and to lower to a position thatallows the engine exhaust plume to attach to the wing flap surface. 3.The system of claim 1, wherein a trailing edge of the upper duct surfaceis substantially parallel to a trailing edge of a wing flap positionedwithin the engine exhaust plume.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein thetrailing edge of the upper duct surface and the trailing edge of thewing flap is swept forward such that lowering the upper duct surface toreduce the height of the nozzle exit aperture turns the engine exhaustplume outward in a direction substantially perpendicular to the trailingedge of the wing flap and rotates a corresponding thrust vector inward.5. The system of claim 4, wherein the trailing edge of the upper ductsurface and the trailing edge of the wing flap is swept forward between20 degrees and 50 degrees.
 6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:a wing; an engine mounting aperture positioned within the wing andconfigured for receiving an aircraft engine; an engine nozzle mountedwithin the wing at a location that routes the engine exhaust plume fromthe aircraft engine to the nozzle exit aperture; and a wing flappositioned aft of the nozzle exit aperture within a path of the engineexhaust plume.
 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a septumvane that separates the nozzle exit aperture from an adjacent nozzleexit aperture defined by an adjacent controllable USB nozzle aperture,wherein each controllable USB nozzle aperture is independently operableto control a separate engine exhaust plume flow field over a wing flap.8. The system of claim 1, wherein the nozzle exit aperture is positionedwithin an upper surface of a wing to route the engine exhaust plume froman aircraft engine mounted within the wing to the upper surface of thewing.
 9. A method for controlling lift with an engine exhaust plume, themethod comprising: routing the engine exhaust plume through a nozzleexit aperture over a top surface of a wing flap, the nozzle exitaperture defined by an upper duct surface, a lower duct surface, and atleast one side duct surface of a controllable USB nozzle aperture;lowering the upper duct surface to reduce a height of the nozzle exitaperture and a height of the engine exhaust plume exiting the nozzleexit aperture; and opening the at least one side duct surface toincrease a width of the nozzle exit aperture and a width of the engineexhaust plume exiting the nozzle exit aperture, wherein reducing theheight and increasing the width of the engine exhaust plume increases acontact surface area of the engine exhaust plume over the top surface ofthe wing flap to increase lift.
 10. The method of claim 9, whereinlowering the upper duct surface to reduce the height of the nozzle exitaperture and the height of the engine exhaust plume exiting the nozzleexit aperture comprises lowering the upper duct surface during landingoperations.
 11. The method of claim 9 further comprising: raising theupper duct surface to increase the height of the nozzle exit apertureand the height of the engine exhaust plume exiting the nozzle exitaperture; and closing the at least one side duct surface to decrease thewidth of the nozzle exit aperture and the width of the engine exhaustplume exiting the nozzle exit aperture, wherein increasing the heightand decreasing the width of the engine exhaust plume decreases thecontact surface area of the engine exhaust plume over the top surface ofthe wing flap to decrease scrubbing drag associated with the contact ofthe engine exhaust plume with the wing flap.
 12. The method of claim 11,wherein raising the upper duct surface comprises raising the upper ductsurface to a position substantially parallel to a fuselage referenceplane during cruise flight operations to eliminate boat tail drag causedby separation of the ambient airflow over an external surface of theupper duct surface.
 13. The method of claim 9, further comprisingraising a lower duct surface to a position that detaches the engineexhaust plume from the top surface of the wing flap.
 14. The method ofclaim 13, further comprising detecting an engine failure condition on anopposite wing as a wing comprising the nozzle exit aperture, and whereinraising the lower duct surface to the position that detaches the engineexhaust plume from the top surface of the wing flap comprises inresponse to detecting the engine failure condition on the opposite wing,raising the lower duct surface to the position that detaches the engineexhaust plume from the top surface of the wing flap to eliminate anupward thrust component created by a downward turning of the engineexhaust plume over the top surface of the wing flap.
 15. The method ofclaim 13, further comprising lowering the lower duct surface to aposition that allows the engine exhaust plume to attach to the topsurface of the wing flap.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein raisingthe lower duct surface to the position that detaches the engine exhaustplume from the top surface of the wing flap comprises eliminating anupward thrust component created by a downward turning of the engineexhaust plume over the top surface wing flap during cruise flightoperations by raising the lower duct surface during cruise flightoperations to a position that detaches the engine exhaust plume from thetop surface of the wing flap and directs the engine exhaust plume in aplane substantially parallel to a fuselage reference plane, and whereinlowering the lower duct surface to the position that allows the engineexhaust plume to attach to the top surface of the wing flap comprisescreating the upward thrust component during landing flight operations bylowering the lower duct surface during landing flight operations to aposition that attaches the engine exhaust plume to the top surface ofthe wing flap.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein raising the lowerduct surface to the position that detaches the engine exhaust plume fromthe top surface of the wing flap comprises eliminating an upward thrustcomponent created by a downward turning of the engine exhaust plume overthe top surface wing flap prior to takeoff flight operations by raisingthe lower duct surface prior to takeoff to a position that detaches theengine exhaust plume from the top surface of the wing flap and directsthe engine exhaust plume in a plane substantially parallel to a fuselagereference plane, and wherein lowering the lower duct surface to theposition that allows the engine exhaust plume to attach to the topsurface of the wing flap comprises creating the upward thrust componentand increasing lift created by the wing flap during takeoff flightoperations by lowering the lower duct surface to a position thatattaches the engine exhaust plume to the top surface of the wing flapduring takeoff flight operations after accelerating an aircraft to aaircraft rotation or climb speed.
 18. A USB aircraft system, comprising:a wing having a forward-swept wing flap and a controllable USB nozzleaperture configured to route an engine exhaust plume from an enginemounted within the wing over the forward-swept wing flap, wherein thecontrollable USB nozzle aperture comprises: an upper duct surfaceconfigured to raise and lower to alter a height of a nozzle exitaperture; a lower duct surface configurable to raise to a position thatdetaches the engine exhaust plume from the forward-swept wing flap andto lower to a position that allows the engine exhaust plume to attach tothe forward-swept wing flap; and at least one side duct surfaceconfigured to alter a width of the nozzle exit aperture, wherein theupper duct surface, the lower duct surface, and the at least one sideduct surface define the nozzle exit aperture and are configured todynamically control a geometry of the nozzle exit aperture and flowcharacteristics of an engine exhaust plume exiting the nozzle exitaperture.
 19. The USB aircraft system of claim 18, wherein theforward-swept wing flap sweeps forward approximately 20-50 degrees. 20.The USB aircraft system of claim 18, wherein a leading edge of the wingis swept rearward approximately 20-50 degrees, wherein the wing furthercomprises two engine mounting apertures configured to internally mounttwo aircraft engines adjacent to one another within the wing, andwherein the wing further comprises two controllable USB nozzle aperturescorresponding to the two engine mounting apertures, the two controllableUSB nozzle apertures separated by a movable septum vane.